World Journal of Zoology 4 (1): 47-48, 2009
ISSN 1817-3098
© IDOSI Publications, 2009
Archaeopteryx: A Connecting Link or a True Bird?
Yasir Hasan Siddique
Section of Genetics, Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh-202 002 (U.P.), India
Abstract: Evolutionists claim that Archaeopteryx is a transitional representative having certain characters of
dinosaurs. The fossils of bird remains are the rarest of all land vertebrates because of the hollow and fragile
nature of their skeletons. Archaeopteryx as a transitional form is promoted by evolutionists, probably to
dismiss the Darwinian theory. According to paleontologists, Archaeopteryx is a feathered dinosaur. But still
it is a matter of debate that Archaeopteryx is a connecting link or a true bird.
Key words: Archaeopteryx
Connecting link
Fossil
INTRODUCTION
The theory of evolution is primarily based on the
available fossil records. Fossil remains predominantly
appear in sedimentary rocks originally laid down by a
succession of deposits in seas, lakes, riverbeds and
deserts. Some paleontological findings strongly
supported the Dariwinian theory during his lifetime, one
was the discovery in 1861 of a true “missing link”,
approximately midway between reptiles and birds, was
named Archaeopteryx [1]. The fossils of Archaeopteryx
were found in upper Jurassic limestone deposits in
Bavaria. It had a number of reptilian features, including
teeth, separate clawed fingers and a tail of twenty one
vertebrae, but also had a number of birds like features
such as feathers and beak. The theory of evolution claims
that the ancestors of birds were dinosaurs. The question
arises that, “How dinosaurs turned into bird? The
evolutionists stated two theories in support of it (a)
arboreal theory (b) cursorial theory. According to arboreal
theory arboreal reptiles that used their developing wings
to glide from branch to branch turned into birds and
according to cursorial theory, ground dwelling creatures
whose primitive feathers formed planning surfaces
enabling them to increase their running speed turned into
birds. Some evolutionist claims that “dinosaurs grew
wings while trying to catch flies [1].
transitional form that branched off from the dinosaurs
stock and started to fly like present day birds.
However, the recent studies of Archaeopteryx fossils
indicate that it is not a transitional form but is an
extinct species of bird. Evolutionist’s claims that it lacks
structure due to which it could not fly properly. Sternum
is a bone which is present in all flying and non-flying
birds, to which flight muscles are attached. In 1993,
Archaeopteryx fossil, was discovered and it proves the
presence of sternum (rectangular shaped) in it [2].
According to Paleontologist Robert Caroll, the geometry
as well as their arrangement of the flight feathers of
Archaeopteryx is identical with that of modern flying
birds [3]. Evolutionists also claim Archaeopteryx as
transitional form by giving the points such as presence
of claws on its wing and its teeth. The living groups
of bird, the touraco and the hoatzin, have claws, which
help them to hold onto branches [2]. Hence, it is clear that
the transitional form cannot be explained by the presence
of claws and teeth. Claws and teeth are not typical
reptilian feature and Archaeopteryx is not the only bird
species to possess teeth. According to well known
ornithologists, L.D. Martin, J.D. Stewart and K.N.
Whetstone, Archaeopteryx have unserrated teeth with
constricted bases and expanded root but, the alleged
ancestors of the Archaeopteryx had serrated teeth with
straight root [4].
TRANSITIONAL FORM
ANATOMICAL STUDIES
According to evolutionists Archaeopteryx lived
approximately 150 million years ago. It is assumed as a
Studies of anatomical features by John Ostrom, a
leading authority on the subject claims that
Corresponding Author: Dr. Yasir Hasan Siddique, Section of Genetics, Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University,
Aligarh-202 002 (U.P.), India
47
World J. Zool., 4 (1): 47-48, 2009
Archaeopteryx evolved from dinosaurs. S. Tarsitano,
M.K. Hecht and A.D. Walker have revealed the similarities
observed by J. Ostrom as misinterpretation. According to
A.D. Walker there is much similarity in the ear region of
Archaeopteryx and the modern birds [2]. Alan Feduccia
[5] argues that there are major anatomical differences
between birds and dinosaurs, such as the embryological
origin of their forelimbs digits, dinosaur three fingered
hand is composed of digits 1, 2 and 3, whereas the bird
forelimb uses digits 2, 3 and 4. Richard L. Deem, the
American biologists in his article “The Demise of the
Birds Are Dinosaurs Theory”, also supports Feduccia’s
argument and further states that the theropod
forelimb is much smaller than that of Archaeopteryx.
The vast majority of the theropod lack semilunate wrist
bone and have large number of other wrist elements which
have no homology to the bones of Archaeopteryx [5].
Alan Feduccia and Julie Nowicki of the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill studied a series of live
ostrich eggs and concluded that, there cannot be an
evolutionary link between birds and dinosaurs. They
argued that whatever the ancestor of birds was, it must
have had five fingers, not the three fingered hand of
theropod dinosaurs. There are also differences in the
method of tooth implantation and replacement among
dinosaur and birds [2].
skull with computer tomography scanning shows that
Archaeopteryx had a brain like a modern birds. The inner
ear’s cohlea and semicircular canals were in the same
proportions as in the modern birds. This proves that
Archaeopteryx had the sense of balance required for
coordinating flight [10].
CONCLUSION
On the basis of above facts it can be concluded that
Archaeopteryx was not the transitional form. The
fossil record proves that today’s modern bird and some
archaic birds such as Archaeopteryx and Confuciusornis
lived together at the same time. Archaeopteryx and
Confuciusornis, have become extinct, but some of the
species of modern birds that once existed have been able
to survive down to the present day and there is no
transitional form which can be proved by the available
fossil records.
REFERENCES
1.
2.
FOSSIL STUDIES
3.
Feduccia also argued that why bird like dinosaur
theropods such as Velociraptor first occurs 80 million
years later than Archaeopteryx, whereas triassic
therapods that are contemporary with Archaeopteryx
have few, if any specifically bird like features. A number
fossils discovered and supported the evolution of birds
from dinosaurs have been proved wrong. In this series,
Sinosauropteryx discovered in China in 1996 was
presented as ‘feathered dinosaur’. Larry Martin of Kansas
University, Lawrence, thinks that the structures are frayed
collagenous fibers beneath the skin and have nothing to
do with birds [6]. Another fossil discovered in China in
1999, Arachaeoraptor liaoningensis was proved as a fake
fossil and was skillfully constructed from five separate
specimens. In this fossil some primitive bird bones and a
non-flying dromaeosaurid dinosaur was combined. It was
a product of a Chinese evolutionist, by using glue and
cement from eighty eight bones and stones [7]. The
skeleton of Archaeopteryx had pneumatized vertebrae
and pelvis, which indicates the presence of both a cervical
and abdominal air sac [8-9]. Further the analysis of the
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10.
48
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